Silent Hill: Homecoming – Further Exploration

Today, I had some more time to get stuck into my latest purchase, “Silent Hill: Homecoming,” and so far, I am loving and enjoying every minute second of this game. Right now, I’ve just saved inside the fourth gate of Rose Heights Cemetery, shortly after slaying a grotesque, skinless dog with my default weapon – the combat knife. I have uncovered a few grisly little insights into Alex, the protagonist’s, past.

The save points are no placed as close to each other after a truck driver drops Alex off in Shepherd’s Glen, amidst the shroud of fog. They are far away enough from each other to keep you quick and alert during combat, for fear of losing a not-inconsiderable amount of effort when mauled to death by a creature called a Lurker. I encountered two save points so far; one in the town hall, in Judge Holloway’s room, and another in the aforementioned cemetery gates.

One of my favorite moments so far, happened in the flooded basement of Alex’s childhood home (shortly after we encounter his mother in a catatonic state during a cutscene). Using the combat knife to cut away a tarp concealing an entrance that ends in a locked doorway, we tap “X” to trigger another cutscene. This depicts Alex’s stern father, Adam (once a soldier) cutting up something bloody in the hunting room. He yells at Alex, telling him that this room is off-limits to him. This gives us an insight into what Alex’s childhood was like.

Another glimpse into the protagonist’s past happens when we stumble upon the “cassette tape” item, and later play it on the answering machine. The recording first sounds like Alex and his brother Josh messing around, but soon their father’s voice is heard. He tells Alex to leave, yelling at him, before talking lovingly to Josh. It is clear that Adam Shepherd favors Josh.

Basically, “Silent Hill: Homecoming” is a great installment in the Silent Hill series. The characters are as complex as those in previous games, which is one of many qualities that makes Silent Hill the greatest survival horror series that I have ever played. The plot is fantastic, and I can, so far, find nothing that I would change about it.